#BPOTD: The micellar water that *actually* left my skin feeling squeaky clean

Beauty editors have no shortage of skin-care and makeup goodies that come across our desks. So when we become obsessed with something, it says a lot. In our “Beauty Product of the Day” series (#BPOTD, for short), we wax poetic about the items that are truly game changers for hair, skin, and nails.

As someone who has naturally oily and blemish-prone skin, I typically steer clear of micellar waters as my go-to cleanser, opting for something a little bit stronger to really clean out my pores (living in New York City will do that to you).

I’ve only resorted to micellar water as a makeup remover, and have always used cleanser after to wash off the residual oils. So when I heard about jane iredale‘s new BeautyPrep™ Face Cleanser that boasts being an all-in-one makeup remover and deep-cleaning face wash, I was seriously skeptical. But, in the name of journalism (and beauty curiosity) I tried it out—and ended up stumbling on the micellar water holy grail.

It started off unassuming at first, with two squirts on a cotton pad applied to about half of my face. Another pad and two more squirts later, and my face had that same fresh feeling it did after my usual scrub, but without any of the “OMG I need moisturizer right now” dryness. According to the trailblazing beauty brand, that’s thanks to the vitamin-rich cucumber extracts that hydrate without leaving an oily residue (because, gross).
Photo: jane iredale

To round out the experience, I followed the wash with the BeautyPrep™ Face Toner and Face Moisturizer, which were deliciously lemon scented, adding to the super-fresh feel of the regimen.

Then came the waiting. I thought for sure I’d wake up with a new pimple thanks to a clogged pore my new cleansing method missed, but when I looked in the mirror in the morning it was all clear.

Oat amino acids are responsible for that, according to intel from jane iredale. Similar to how they work in your favorite oat-based scrub, the amino acids go skin deep into skin to provide the purest clean—no water required.

The best part? The cleanser has just eight ingredients, none of which I needed to Google because most of them are plants. The super clean ingredients label earned the cleanser and toner a Natural and Organic Cosmetics certification by ECOCERT. Count that as the push you need to add this to your collection, stat.